FIG. 9 shows an example of the arrangement of the driving circuit of a conventional solid-state area image sensor. In FIG. 9, a horizontal transfer pulse directly from a timing generator 909 and a vertical transfer pulse from the timing generator 909 through a V driver 105 are applied to an area image sensor 101. In response to horizontal and vertical transfer pulses, an image signal sensed by the area image sensor 101 is read out and input to an analog front end 103. The analog front end 103 performs in turn correlated double sampling (CDS), gain adjustment, and A/D conversion for the input signal and supplies the processing result to a digital signal processor (DSP) 905 as a digital signal. The digital signal processor 905 forms an image signal consisting of a luminance signal and color difference signals using the supplied digital signal and outputs it to a terminal 107. The digital signal processor 905 operates in accordance with a clock generated by the timing generator 909. The digital signal processor 905 generates HD and VD pulses conforming to a predetermined standard such as the NTSC standard, the PAL standard, or the like and supplies them to the timing generator 909 in return. The timing generator 909 generates various read pulses for the area image sensor 101 on the basis of the HD and VD pulses, thereby achieving frame synchronization.
The conventional timing generator 909, however, is designed specifically for the area image sensor 101 and lacks in general versatility. To support a plurality of different image sensing modes such as a still image sensing mode, a monitor mode (mode in which the entire area of the area image sensor is read out in a 2-field period to achieve frame synchronization before sensing still images), and the like, in addition to a moving image sensing mode, the timing generator 909 must be arranged so that the area image sensor 101 can be driven and a read signal can be processed in each mode. Additionally, if some change needs to be made to a driving signal, the timing generator 909 itself must be manufactured again, thus resulting in an increase in cost.